Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-16
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1857.
site for the Veterans Home.

CAPTAIN Wm. Blanding, the Pacific
Coast member of the Board OF Com
missioners of the Veteran Soldiers
Home. is in this city. He has come
down here for the purpose OF spying
out the land, and to be prepared when
the entire Board are ready to make
their selection, to treat the matter in
telligently. In few weeks the rest
of the Commissioners will be here,
an d at that time they will probably
decide finally upon the location. Con-
gress has appropriated $150,OO0 as
starter to establish Soldiers Home in
this State. An equal sum will pro-
badly be appropriated each success
81 We year to sustain the institution.
Ca plain Blanding says that the Com
missioners will require about one
hundred and fifty acres in order to
carry out their plans. They con-
template net only the erection OF a
great central building, but the con-
struction of large number OF sup
Elementary buildings, including an
Opera House. The grounds are to be
laid off into gardens, parks, parade
grounds and encampment fields. 1t
is the intention to heautify them to
the utmost limit OF the art of land
scape gardening, and to have them
studded with artificial lakes. The
number of veterans who will finish
tn cir days in this beautiful Home will
run up into many thousands. That
the institution will be literally sup
ported by Congress, backed by the
endorsement of generous people,
grateful for the services of the soldiers,
their can be no doubt. In a mere
mercantile point Of view, the city that
secures for itself the location of this
splendid institution will be muniti-
Gently rewarded by the trade which it
will create. Millions Of dollars, first
and last, will be spent in the commu-
nifty securing it for the supplies it will
require. 1t will thus be seen that it
is no petty object to successfully COM
pete for this grand prize. The cities
of Northern California are putting
forth strenuous efforts for its
location in their midst, and
are making very liberal Of
fers of land to the Commissioners.
But we very much doubt that they
will get away with it if the people OF
Los Angeles will only rise to a
true appreciation OF the value OF
the Home, and do what they can
and ought to do to secure its location
here. We start out with one conspic-
nous and unapproachable advantage
over northern competitors, and that is
a climate that will rejuvenate the
war-worn veterans and give them a
new lease Of life, II we will it, the
II ONE will be located III Les Angeles.
1t is well worth the while of our citi-
zens to make a liberal tender to secure
this prize. They can we'll afford to
donate the land required. We have
magnificent sites for the Home within
the lines OF the Pueblo OF Los Angeles
or so adjacent thereto that it would
be in our city, to all intents and pur-
poses. If we are public spirited
enough to present the acres required
we are satisfied it will be located here.
We throw out this suggestion so that
our people may seriously con-
slider it. 1t would, beyond
its mere value to our tradespeople,
be most esthetic adornment
to our city. 1t would serve as pub
lie park, and a resort OF pleasure. The
parades of the veterans at stated per-
iods would be irresistibly attractive !;
and the music OF the regimentsl bands
be a source Of popular enjoyment.
Indeed the Veteran Soldiers Home
would become a center OF such attrac-
ton that the value of lands contigu-
Gus to its grounds would quadruple in
value.